Location Change Reporting Method, Device, and System

ABSTRACT

In a location change reporting method, a session management function entity receives from a mobility management entity information including location change information of user equipment (UE) in a first presence reporting area (PRA), an identity of the first PRA, and an identity of a PRA set that includes the first PRA. The session management function entity identifies, based on the identity of the PRA set and locally stored PRA subscription information, a subscription entity that subscribes to location change events of the UE in the PRA set, and sends the identity of the first PRA and the location change information of the UE in the first PRA to the subscription entity.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.16/675,998 filed on Nov. 6, 2019, which is continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 16/394,271 filed on Apr. 25, 2019, now U.S. Pat.No. 10,499,240, which is a continuation of International PatentApplication No. PCT/CN2017/102963 filed on Sep. 22, 2017, which claimspriority to Chinese Patent Application No. 201610934258.8 filed on Oct.31, 2016. All of the aforementioned patent applications are herebyincorporated by reference in their entireties.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present application relates to the field of communicationstechnologies, and in particular, to a location change reporting method,device, and system.

BACKGROUND

As communication services are diversified, an operator may have aspecific charging or control policy for a specific area. Currently, thepolicy is implemented by presence reporting area (PRA) characteristicsin the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standard.

Specifically, when a policy and charging rules function (PCRF) or anonline charging system (OCS) needs to sense a location change status ofuser equipment (UE) in a PRA such as a status of entering or leaving thePRA by the UE, the PCRF or the OCS subscribes with a packet data network(PDN) gateway (PGW) to a location change event of the UE in the PRA.When subscribing to the location change event of the UE in the PRA, thePCRF or the OCS delivers, for a multi-PRA scenario, an identity of a PRAset of all PRAs to the PGW. When receiving subscription informationcarrying the identity of the PRA set, the PGW continues to deliver theidentity of the PRA set to a mobility management entity (MIME) or aserving General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) support node (SGSN), toinstruct the MME or the SGSN to monitor a location change status of theUE in the PRA and report a location change event of the UE in the PRA tothe PCRF or the OCS when a location of the UE in the PRA changes. ThePCRF or the OCS performs a new policy or charging adjustment based onthe location change event in the PRA.

However, in other approaches, when the MME or the SGSN reports thelocation change event of the UE in the PRA, only an identity of the PRAis carried, and a correspondence between the identity of the PRA set andthe identity of the PRA is not configured in the PGW. Consequently, theMME or the SGSN cannot decide how to report the location change event inthe PRA to the PCRF or the OCS.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the present application provide a location changereporting method, device, and system, to resolve at least an existingproblem that a session management function entity cannot decide how toreport a location change event of UE in a PRA to a subscription entitybecause the location change event of the UE in the PRA that is reportedby a MME carries only an identity of the PRA when an identity of the PRAset is used to subscribe to the location change event of the UE in thePRA in a multi-PRA scenario.

To achieve the foregoing objective, the embodiments of the presentapplication provide the following technical solutions.

According to a first aspect, a location change reporting method isprovided, including receiving, by a session management function entity,location change information of UE in a PRA, an identity of the PRA, andan identity of a PRA set to which the PRA corresponding to the identityof the PRA belongs that are sent by a MME, where the location changeinformation of the UE in the PRA includes information about entering orleaving the PRA by the UE, determining, by the session managementfunction entity based on the identity of the PRA set and stored PRAsubscription information, a subscription entity that subscribes to alocation change event of the UE in any PRA in the PRA set, where the PRAsubscription information includes the identity of the PRA set and anidentity of the subscription entity that subscribes to the locationchange event of the UE in any PRA in the PRA set, and sending, by thesession management function entity, the identity of the PRA and thelocation change information of the UE in the PRA to the subscriptionentity. In other words, in this embodiment of the present application,the MME sends, to the session management function entity, the locationchange information in the PRA, the identity of the PRA, and the identityof the PRA set to which the PRA corresponding to the identity of the PRAbelongs, so that the session management function entity can determine,based on the identity of the PRA set, the subscription entity thatsubscribes to the location change event of the UE in any PRA in the PRAset, and further can send the identity of the PRA and the locationchange information of the UE in the PRA to the subscription entity. Thiscan resolve an existing problem that a session management functionentity cannot decide how to report a location change event of UE in aPRA to a subscription entity because the location change event of the UEin the PRA that is reported by a MME carries only an identity of the PRAwhen an identity of the PRA set is used to subscribe to the locationchange event of the UE in the PRA in a multi-PRA scenario.

In a possible design, the method further includes receiving, by thesession management function entity, a PRA subscription request sent bythe subscription entity, where the PRA subscription request carries theidentity of the PRA set and is used to request to subscribe to alocation change event of the UE in any PRA in the PRA set correspondingto the identity of the PRA set, determining, by the session managementfunction entity, the PRA subscription information based on the PRAsubscription request and storing the PRA subscription information, andsending, by the session management function entity, a PRA locationchange notification request to the MME, where the PRA location changenotification request carries the identity of the PRA set and is used toinstruct the MIME to perform PRA location change reporting when the UEenters or leaves any PRA in the PRA set corresponding to the identity ofthe PRA set. In other words, in this embodiment of the presentapplication, the session management function entity may determine, basedon the received PRA subscription request sent by the subscriptionentity, the PRA subscription information corresponding to thesubscription entity and store the PRA subscription information, so thatafter subsequently receiving the identity of the PRA and the identity ofthe PRA set to which the PRA corresponding to the identity of the PRAbelongs that are sent by the MME, the session management function entitycan determine, based on the subscription information, the subscriptionentity that subscribes to the location change event of the UE in any PRAin the PRA set.

In a possible design, the subscription entity includes a PCRF entity oran OCS entity.

In a possible design, the MME includes an MME, an SGSN, or a mobilitymanagement function (MMF).

In a possible design, the session management function entity includes aPGW or a session management function (SMF).

According to a second aspect, an embodiment of the present applicationprovides a session management function entity, and the sessionmanagement function entity has a function of implementing behavior ofthe session management function entity in the foregoing methodembodiment. The function may be implemented by hardware or may beimplemented by executing corresponding software by hardware. Thehardware or the software includes one or more modules corresponding tothe function.

According to a third aspect, an embodiment of the present applicationprovides a session management function entity, including a processor, amemory, a bus, and a communications interface, where the memory isconfigured to store a computer execution instruction, the processor isconnected to the memory by using the bus, and when the sessionmanagement function entity runs, the processor executes the computerexecution instruction stored in the memory, so that the sessionmanagement function entity performs the location change reporting methodaccording to any design of the first aspect.

According to a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present applicationprovides a computer storage medium, configured to store a computersoftware instruction used by the foregoing session management functionentity, where the computer software instruction includes a programdesigned for the session management function entity to execute theforegoing aspects.

In addition, for a technical effect brought by any design manner of thesecond aspect to the fourth aspect, refer to the technical effectsbrought by the different design manners of the first aspect. Details arenot described herein again.

According to a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present applicationprovides a location change system, including an MME and the sessionmanagement function entity according to any of the foregoing aspects.

These or other aspects of the present application are more concise andcomprehensible in descriptions of the following embodiments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

To describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the presentapplication more clearly, the following briefly describes theaccompanying drawings required for describing the embodiments.Apparently, the accompanying drawings in the following descriptions showmerely some embodiments of the present application, and a person ofordinary skill in the art may still derive other drawings from theseaccompanying drawings without creative efforts.

FIG. 1 is a network architectural diagram of a location change system100 according to an embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a computer device according to anembodiment of the present application.

FIG. 3 is a schematic flowchart of a location change method according toan embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a session managementfunction entity according to an embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 5 is a schematic structural diagram of another session managementfunction entity according to an embodiment of the present application.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

The following describes the technical solutions in the embodiments ofthe present application with reference to the accompanying drawings inthe embodiments of the present application. Apparently, the describedembodiments are merely some rather than all of the embodiments of thepresent application.

In addition, in the descriptions of the present application, unlessotherwise specified, “a plurality of” means two or more.

FIG. 1 is a network architectural diagram of a location change system100 according to an embodiment of the present application. The locationchange system 100 includes a session management function entity 101, anMME 102, and a subscription entity 103. The subscription entity 103 isconfigured to subscribe with the MME 102 to a location change event ofUE in a PRA. The session management function entity 101 is configured toinstruct the MME 102 to perform PRA monitoring and PRA location changereporting and decide how to report to the subscription entity 103 afterreceiving location change information that indicates that the UE entersor leaves the PRA and that is sent by the MME 102. The MME 102 isconfigured to perform PRA monitoring and PRA location change reporting.

Specifically, the location change system 100 may be applied to anexisting 2nd generation (2G) network, 3rd generation (3G) network, or4th generation (4G) network, or may be applied to a future 5thgeneration (5G) network or another future network. This is notspecifically limited in this embodiment of the present application.

A typical 2G network includes a Global System for Mobile Communications(GSM) network or a GPRS network. A typical 3G network includes aUniversal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) network. A typical 4Gnetwork includes a Long-Term Evolution (LTE) network.

It can be understood that in different networks, network elements orentities corresponding to the session management function entity 101,the MME 102, and the subscription entity 103 may have different names.An example is as follows.

If the location communications system 100 is applied to the 2G networkor the 3G network, a network element or an entity corresponding to thesession management function entity 101 may be a PGW, a network elementor an entity corresponding to the MME 102 may be an SGSN, and a networkelement or an entity corresponding to the subscription entity 103 may bea PCRF or an OCS.

If the location communications system 100 is applied to the 4G network,a network element or an entity corresponding to the session managementfunction entity 101 may be a PGW, a network element or an entitycorresponding to the MME 102 may be an MME, and a network element or anentity corresponding to the subscription entity 103 may be a PCRF or anOCS.

If the location communications system 100 is applied to the future 5Gnetwork, a network element or an entity corresponding to the sessionmanagement function entity 101 may be an SMF entity, a network elementor an entity corresponding to the MME 102 may be a MMF entity, and anetwork element or an entity corresponding to the subscription entity103 may be a policy function entity or an OCS.

However, the name is not intended to limit the entity. In the future 5Gnetwork and other future network, the network elements or the entitiescorresponding to the session management function entity 101, the MME102, and the subscription entity 103 may alternatively have other names.This is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the presentapplication.

It can be understood that the network element or the entitycorresponding to the session management function entity 101 may haveanother function in addition to a session management function, thenetwork element or the entity corresponding to the MME 102 may haveanother function in addition to an MMF, and the network element or theentity corresponding to the subscription entity 103 may have anotherfunction in addition to a subscription function. This is notspecifically limited in this embodiment of the present application.

It can be understood that the network elements or the entitiescorresponding to the session management function entity 101, the MME102, and the subscription entity 103 may be implemented by one entitydevice or may be implemented jointly by a plurality of entity devices.This is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the presentapplication.

For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the session management function entity101 in FIG. 1 may be implemented by a computer device (or a system) inFIG. 2.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a computer device according to anembodiment of the present application. The computer device 200 includesat least one processor 201, a communications bus 202, a memory 203, andat least one communications interface 204.

The processor 201 may be a general-purpose central processing unit(CPU), a microprocessor, an application-specific integrated circuit(ASIC), or one or more integrated circuits for controlling execution ofa program in the solutions of the present application.

The communications bus 202 may include a path for transferringinformation between the foregoing components.

The communications interface 204 is configured to communicate, by usingany apparatus such as a transceiver, with another device or acommunications network such as Ethernet, a radio access network (RAN),or a wireless local area network (WLAN).

The memory 203 may be but is not limited to a read-only memory (ROM) oranother type of static storage device that can store static informationand instructions, or a random-access memory (RAM) or another type ofdynamic storage device that can store information and instructions, ormay be an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM),a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM) or another compact discstorage, an optical disc storage (including a compact disc, a laserdisc, an optical disc, a digital versatile disc, a BLU-RAY disc, or thelike), a magnetic disk storage medium or another magnetic storagedevice, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store expectedprogram code in a form of an instruction or a data structure and thatcan be accessed by a computer. The memory may exist independently, andis connected to the processor by using the bus. The memory mayalternatively be integrated with the processor.

The memory 203 is configured to store application program code forexecuting the solutions of the present application, and the processor201 controls the execution. The processor 201 is configured to executethe application program code stored in the memory 203, to implementlocation change reporting.

During specific implementation, in an embodiment, the processor 201 mayinclude one or more CPUs, for example, a CPU 0 and a CPU 1 in FIG. 2.

During specific implementation, in an embodiment, the computer device200 may include a plurality of processors, for example, the processor201 and a processor 208 in FIG. 2. Each of these processors may be asingle-core (single-CPU) processor, or may be a multi-core (multi-CPU)processor. The processor herein may refer to one or more devices,circuits, and/or processing cores for processing data (for example, acomputer program instruction).

During specific implementation, in an embodiment, the computer device200 may further include an output device 205 and an input device 206.The output device 205 communicates with the processor 201, and maydisplay information in a plurality of manners. For example, the outputdevice 205 may be a liquid-crystal display (LCD), a light-emitting diode(LED) display device, a cathode-ray tube (CRT) display device, or aprojector. The input device 206 communicates with the processor 201, andmay receive a user input in a plurality of manners. For example, theinput device 206 may be a mouse, a keyboard, a touchscreen device, or asensor device.

The computer device 200 may be a general-purpose computer device or adedicated computer device. During specific implementation, the computerdevice 200 may be a desktop computer, a portable computer, a networkserver, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile phone, a tabletcomputer, a wireless terminal device, a communications device, anembedded device, or a device with a structure similar to that in FIG. 2.A type of the computer device 200 is not limited in this embodiment ofthe present application.

FIG. 3 is a schematic flowchart of a location change reporting methodaccording to an embodiment of the present application. The method isdescribed by using an example in which the location communicationssystem 100 shown in FIG. 1 is applied to an existing 4G network, andrelates to interaction between a PCRF, a PGW, a serving gateway (SGW),and an MME and interaction between an OCS, a PGW, an SGW, and an MME.The method includes steps S301 to S308. Steps S301 a to S304 a are aprocess in which the PCRF subscribes with the PGW to a location changeevent and delivers a PRA location change notification request. StepsS301 b to S304 b are a process in which the OCS subscribes with the PGWto a location change event and delivers a PRA location changenotification request. Steps S305 to S308 are a PRA location changedecision and reporting process.

Steps S301 a to S304 a are specifically as follows.

S301 a. Establish a policy control session between a PGW and a PCRF.

A process of establishing the policy control session between the PGW andthe PCRF may be as follows.

The MME sends a create session request to the PGW by using the SGW, totrigger establishment of the policy control session between the PGW andthe PCRF. After the session is established, the PGW sends a createsession response to the MME by using the SGW. The process belongs to anexisting procedure, and therefore details are not described herein inthis embodiment of the present application.

S302 a. The PCRF sends a PRA subscription request 1 to the PGW, so thatthe PGW receives the PRA subscription request 1, where the PRAsubscription request 1 carries an identity of a PRA set 1 and is used torequest to subscribe to a location change event of UE in any PRA in thePRA set 1.

It should be noted that in this embodiment of the present application,subscribing to a location change event of UE in a PRA is specificallysubscribing to a location change event of entering or leaving the PRA bythe UE. This explanation is provided herein and is applicable to all thefollowing embodiments. Details are not described again below.

It should be noted that a PRA subscription request sent by the PCRF tothe PGW is marked as the PRA subscription request 1 herein, so that thePRA subscription request is distinguished from a PRA subscriptionrequest sent by the OCS to the PGW below. This explanation is providedherein and is applicable to all the following embodiments. Details arenot described again below.

It should be noted that a PRA set in the PCRF is marked as the PRA set 1herein, so that the PRA set is distinguished from a PRA set in the OCSbelow. This explanation is provided herein and is applicable to all thefollowing embodiments. Details are not described again below.

S303 a. The PGW determines PRA subscription information 1 based on thePRA subscription request 1 and stores the PRA subscription information1, where the PRA subscription information 1 includes the identity of thePRA set 1 and an identity of the PCRF.

The PCRF is a subscription entity that subscribes to the location changeevent of the UE in any PRA in the PRA set 1.

It should be noted that subscription information corresponding to thePCRF is marked as the PRA subscription information 1 herein, so that thesubscription information is distinguished from subscription informationcorresponding to the OCS below. This explanation is provided herein andis applicable to all the following embodiments. Details are notdescribed again below.

S304 a. The PGW sends a PRA location change notification request 1 tothe MME by using the SGW, so that the MME receives the PRA locationchange notification request 1, where the PRA location changenotification request 1 carries the identity of the PRA set 1 and is usedto instruct the MME to perform PRA location change reporting when the UEenters or leaves any PRA in the PRA set 1 corresponding to the identityof the PRA set 1.

In other words, a function of the PRA location change notificationrequest 1 is to instruct the MME to report location change informationof the UE in the PRA when a location of the UE relative to any PRA inthe PRA set 1 changes.

It should be noted that a PRA location change notification request thatis sent by the PGW to the MME after the PCRF sends the PRA subscriptionrequest 1 to the PGW is marked as the PRA location change notificationrequest 1 herein, so that the PRA location change notification requestis distinguished from a PRA location change notification request that issent by the PGW to the MME after the OCS sends a PRA subscriptionrequest 2 to the PGW below. This explanation is provided herein and isapplicable to all the following embodiments. Details are not describedagain below.

A manner in which the PGW sends the PRA location change notificationrequest to the MME is not specifically limited in this embodiment of thepresent application. For example, the location change notificationrequest may be added to an update bearer request message and sent to theMME.

In FIG. 3, steps S302 a to S304 a are performed after the policy controlsession is established between the PGW and the PCRF. Optionally, stepsS302 a to S304 a may alternatively be completed in a process ofestablishing the policy control session between the PGW and the PCRF.Specifically, the MME sends a create session request to the PGW by usingthe SGW, to trigger establishment of the policy control session betweenthe PGW and the PCRF. During establishment of the policy control sessionbetween the PGW and the PCRF, the PCRF sends a PRA subscription request1 to the PGW, and the PGW determines PRA subscription information 1based on the PRA subscription request 1 and stores the PRA subscriptioninformation 1. After the policy control session is established, the PGWsends a create session response to the MME by using the SGW, and thecreate session response carries a PRA location change notificationrequest 1. This case is not specifically limited in this embodiment ofthe present application.

Similarly, the OCS may alternatively subscribe with the PGW to alocation change event and deliver a PRA location change notificationrequest to the MME in the manner in steps S301 a to S304 a, as describedin steps S301 b to S304 b.

S301 b. Establish an online charging session between the PGW and theOCS.

A process of establishing the online charging session between the PGWand the OCS may be as follows.

The MME sends a create session request to the PGW by using the SGW, totrigger establishment of the online charging session between the PGW andthe OCS. After the session is established, the PGW sends a createsession response to the MME. The process belongs to an existingprocedure, and therefore details are not described herein in thisembodiment of the present application.

S302 b. The OCS sends a PRA subscription request 2 to the PGW, so thatthe PGW receives the PRA subscription request 2, where the PRAsubscription request 2 carries an identity of a PRA set 2 and is used torequest to subscribe to a location change event of the UE in any PRA inthe PRA set 2.

It should be noted that a PRA subscription request sent by the OCS tothe PGW is marked as the PRA subscription request 2 herein, so that thePRA subscription request is distinguished from the foregoing PRAsubscription request sent by the PCRF to the PGW. This explanation isprovided herein and is applicable to all the following embodiments.Details are not described again below.

It should be noted that a PRA set in the OCS is marked as the PRA set 2herein, so that the PRA set is distinguished from the foregoing PRA setin the PCRF. This explanation is provided herein and is applicable toall the following embodiments. Details are not described again below.

S303 b. The PGW determines PRA subscription information 2 based on thePRA subscription request 2 and stores the PRA subscription information2, where the PRA subscription information 2 includes the identity of thePRA set 2 and an identity of the OCS.

The OCS is a subscription entity that subscribes to the location changeevent of the UE in any PRA in the PRA set 2.

It should be noted that subscription information corresponding to theOCS is marked as the PRA subscription information 2 herein, so that thesubscription information is distinguished from the foregoingsubscription information corresponding to the PCRF. This explanation isprovided herein and is applicable to all the following embodiments.Details are not described again below.

S304 b. The PGW sends a PRA location change notification request 2 tothe MME by using the SGW, so that the MME receives the PRA locationchange notification request 2, where the PRA location changenotification request 2 carries the identity of the PRA set 2 and is usedto instruct the MME to perform PRA location change reporting when the UEenters or leaves any PRA in the PRA set 2 corresponding to the identityof the PRA set 2.

In other words, a function of the PRA location change notificationrequest 2 is to instruct the MME to report location change informationof the UE in the PRA when a location of the UE relative to any PRA inthe PRA set 2 changes.

It should be noted that a PRA location change notification request thatis sent by the PGW to the MME after the OCS sends the PRA subscriptionrequest 2 to the PGW is marked as the PRA location change notificationrequest 2 herein, so that the PRA location change notification requestis distinguished from the foregoing PRA location change notificationrequest that is sent by the PGW to the MME after the PCRF sends the PRAsubscription request 1 to the PGW. This explanation is provided hereinand is applicable to all the following embodiments. Details are notdescribed again below.

A manner in which the PGW sends the PRA location change notificationrequest to the MME is not specifically limited in this embodiment of thepresent application. For example, the location change notificationrequest may be added to an update bearer request (update bearer request)message and sent to the MME.

In FIG. 3, steps S302 b to S304 b are performed after the onlinecharging session is established between the PGW and the OCS. Optionally,steps S302 b to S304 b may alternatively be completed in a process ofestablishing the online charging session between the PGW and the PCRF.Specifically, the MME sends a create session request to the PGW by usingthe SGW, to trigger establishment of the online charging session betweenthe PGW and the PCRF. During establishment of the online chargingsession between the PGW and the PCRF, the PCRF sends a PRA subscriptionrequest 2 to the PGW, and the PGW determines PRA subscriptioninformation 2 based on the PRA subscription request 2 and stores the PRAsubscription information 2. After the online charging session isestablished, the PGW sends a create session response to the MME by usingthe SGW, and the create session response carries a PRA location changenotification request 2. This case is not specifically limited in thisembodiment of the present application.

It should be noted that there is no necessary performing order betweensteps S301 a to S304 a and steps S301 b to S304 b. Steps S301 a to S304a may be performed before steps S301 b to S304 b are performed.Alternatively, steps S301 b to S304 b may be performed before steps S301a to S304 a are performed. Alternatively, steps S301 a to S304 a may beperformed simultaneously with steps S301 b to S304 b. This is notspecifically limited in this embodiment of the present application. Whensteps S301 a to S304 a are performed simultaneously with steps S301 b toS304 b, the PRA location change notification request 1 in step S304 aand the PRA location change notification request 2 in step S304 b may beadded to a same update bearer request message and sent to the MME. Thisis not specifically limited in this embodiment of the presentapplication.

It should be noted that in this embodiment of the present application,to reuse an existing interface as much as possible, an original PRAidentity naming manner is reused for the identity of the PRA set. Inother words, a naming manner of the identity of the PRA set is the sameas the existing PRA identity naming manner. Therefore, in steps S303 aand S303 b, after the PGW obtains the identity of the PRA set 1 and theidentity of the PRA set 2, the PGW cannot identify whether theidentities are identities of PRA sets or identities of PRAs, andtherefore cannot know whether a location change event of the UE in anyPRA in the PRA set or a location change event of the UE in a specificPRA is subscribed to. For the PCRF or the OCS, because the PRAsubscription request sent by the PCRF or the OCS to the PGW carries theidentity of the PRA set, and in other words, the PCRF or the OCSsubscribes to the location change event of the UE in any PRA in the PRAset, the PCRF or the OCS may be considered as a subscription entity thatsubscribes to the location change event of the UE in any PRA in the PRAset. For example, in step S303 a, the PCRF is a subscription entity thatsubscribes to the location change event of the UE in any PRA in the PRAset 1, and in step S303 b, the OCS is a subscription entity thatsubscribes to the location change event of the UE in any PRA in the PRAset 2. The foregoing explanation is applicable to all the followingembodiments. This explanation is provided herein and details are notdescribed again below.

It should be noted that this embodiment of the present application isdescribed by using an example in which both the PCRF and the OCSsubscribe with the PGW to a location change event, and certainly, it ispossible that only the PCRF subscribes with the PGW to a location changeevent or only the OCS subscribes with the PGW to a location changeevent. This is not specifically limited in this embodiment of thepresent application.

After both the PCRF and the OCS subscribe with the PGW to the locationchange event, PRA subscription information of the UE that is stored inthe PGW may be shown in Table 1.

TABLE 1 PRA subscription Identity of a subscrip- information Identity ofa PRA set tion entity PRA subscription Identity of a PRA set 1 Identityof a PCRF information 1 PRA subscription Identity of a PRA set 2Identity of an OCS information 2 . . . . . . . . .

After the MME receives the PRA location change notification request sentby the PGW by using the SGW, the method further includes the followingsteps S305 to S308.

S305. The MME determines whether PRA location change reporting needs tobe performed.

Specifically, when a location of the UE changes, the MME detects whethera location of the UE in a PRA changes. If the location changes, the MMEdetermines that PRA location change reporting needs to be performed. Ifthe location does not change, the MME determines that PRA locationchange reporting does not need to be performed.

S306. If the MME determines that PRA location change reporting needs tobe performed, the MME sends, to the PGW by using the SGW, locationchange information in a PRA, an identity of the PRA, and an identity ofa PRA set to which the PRA corresponding to the identity of the PRAbelongs, so that the PGW receives the location change information in thePRA, the identity of the PRA, and the identity of the PRA set to whichthe PRA corresponding to the identity of the PRA belongs, where thelocation change information of the UE in the PRA includes informationabout entering or leaving the PRA by the UE.

Specifically, a correspondence between an identity of a PRA set andidentities of all PRAs in the PRA set is preconfigured in the MME. Whendetermining that the location of the UE in the PRA changes, the MME maydetermine, based on the correspondence, an identity of a PRA set towhich the PRA belongs and further send, to the PGW, location changeinformation of the UE in the PRA, an identity of the PRA, and theidentity of the PRA set.

For example, if the PRA set 1 includes a PRA 1, a PRA 2, and a PRA 3,and the PRA set 2 includes a PRA 4, a PRA 5, and a PRA 6, acorrespondence shown in Table 2 may be configured in the MME.

TABLE 2 Identity of a PRA set Identity of a PRA Identity of a PRA set 1Identity of a PRA 1 Identity of a PRA 2 Identity of a PRA 3 Identity ofa PRA set 2 Identity of a PRA 4 Identity of a PRA 5 Identity of a PRA 6. . . . . .

If a location of the UE in the PRA 2 changes, for example, the UE leavesthe PRA 2, the MME may determine, based on the preconfiguredcorrespondence shown in Table 2, that an identity of a PRA set to whichthe PRA 2 belongs is the identity of the PRA set 1 and further send, tothe PGW, location change information of the UE in the PRA 2, theidentity of the PRA 2, and the identity of the PRA set 1.

It should be noted that in this embodiment of the present application, acorrespondence between an identity of one or more PRA sets andidentities of all PRAs in the PRA set(s) is preconfigured not only inthe MME but also in the PCRF and the OCS for the PCRF and the OCS tosubscribe to a location change event of the UE in any PRA of a specificPRA set. This is not specifically limited in this embodiment of thepresent application.

In addition, the correspondence between the identity of the PRA set andthe identities of all the PRAs in the PRA set is not configured in thePGW. This is also a key factor that causes an existing problem that asession management function entity cannot decide how to report alocation change event in a PRA to a subscription entity because thelocation change event in the PRA that is reported by a MME carries onlyan identity of the PRA when an identity of the PRA set is used tosubscribe to the location change event in the PRA in a multi-PRAscenario.

S307. The PGW determines, based on the identity of the PRA set that issent by the MME and the stored PRA subscription information, asubscription entity that subscribes to a location change event of the UEin any PRA in the PRA set.

As described in step S303 a or step S303 b, the PRA subscriptioninformation includes the identity of the PRA set and an identity of thesubscription entity that subscribes to the location change event of theUE in any PRA in the PRA set.

In the example of step S306, if the location of the UE in the PRA 2changes, after receiving the location change information of the UE inthe PRA 2, the identity of the PRA 2, and the identity of the PRA set 1,the PGW may determine, based on the identity of the PRA set 1 and thestored subscription information shown in Table 1, that a subscriptionentity that subscribes to a location change event of the UE in any PRAin the PRA set 1 is the PCRF.

S308. The PGW sends, to the subscription entity determined in step S307,the identity of the PRA and the location change information of the UE inthe PRA that are sent by the MME, so that the subscription entityreceives the identity of the PRA and the location change information ofthe UE in the PRA.

For example, in the example of step S307, the PGW sends, to the PCRF,the identity of the PRA 2 and the location change information of the UEin the PRA 2, so that the PCRF receives the identity of the PRA 2 andthe location change information of the UE in the PRA 2, as shown in FIG.3. Further, the PCRF may send new policy information to the PGW, and thePGW sends location change acknowledgement information to the MME byusing the SGW. This is not described in detail in this embodiment of thepresent application. For details, refer to an existing procedure.

It should be noted that FIG. 3 is merely illustrated by using an examplein which the determined subscription entity that subscribes to thelocation change event of the UE in any PRA in the PRA set is the PCRF.Certainly, the determined subscription entity that subscribes to thelocation change event of the UE in any PRA in the PRA set mayalternatively be the OCS, and then, the identity of the PRA and thelocation change information of the UE in the PRA are sent to the OCS.This is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the presentapplication.

It should be noted that for simplicity, steps S305 to S308 and relatedexamples are described by using an example in which the MME reports alocation change event in one PRA. Certainly, the MME may alternativelyreport location change events in a plurality of PRAs. For example, inthe foregoing example, if the UE leaves the PRA 2 and enters the PRA 4,the MME may report location change events in the two PRAs. Relatedinformation of a location change event in one PRA includes locationchange information in the PRA that indicates that the UE leaves the PRA2, the identity of the PRA 2, and the identity of the PRA set 1. Relatedinformation of a location change event in another PRA includes locationchange information in the PRA that indicates that the UE enters the PRA4, the identity of the PRA 4, and the identity of the PRA set 2. Aquantity of PRAs in which location change events are reported by the MMEis not specifically limited in this embodiment of the presentapplication. When the MME reports location change events in a pluralityof PRAs, for a processing procedure of a location change event of anyPRA, refer to steps S305 to S308. Details are not described herein againin this embodiment of the present application.

In conclusion, based on the location change reporting method provided inthis embodiment of the present application, the MME sends, to thesession management function entity, the location change information inthe PRA, the identity of the PRA, the identity of the PRA set to whichthe PRA corresponding to the identity of the PRA belongs, so that thesession management function entity can determine, based on the identityof the PRA set, the subscription entity that subscribes to the locationchange event of the UE in any PRA in the PRA set, and further can sendthe identity of the PRA and the location change information of the UE inthe PRA to the subscription entity. This can resolve an existing problemthat a session management function entity cannot decide how to report alocation change event of UE in a PRA to a subscription entity becausethe location change event of the UE in the PRA that is reported by a MMEcarries only an identity of the PRA when an identity of the PRA set isused to subscribe to the location change event of the UE in the PRA in amulti-PRA scenario.

Actions of the PGW in steps S301 a, S303 a, S304 a, S301 b, S303 b, S304b, S307, and S308 may be performed by the processor 201 in the computerdevice 200 shown in FIG. 2 by invoking the application program codestored in the memory 203. This is not limited in this embodiment of thepresent application.

It should be noted that the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 is described byusing an example in which the PGW and the SGW are deployed on differentdevices. Certainly, the PGW and the SGW may alternatively be integrated,and in other words, the PGW and the SGW are deployed on a same device.This case is not specifically limited in this embodiment of the presentapplication.

The foregoing mainly describes the solutions provided in the embodimentsof the present application from a perspective of interaction betweennetwork elements. It can be understood that, to implement the foregoingfunctions, the foregoing session management function entity includescorresponding hardware structures and/or software modules for performingthe functions. A person of ordinary skill in the art should be easilyaware that units and algorithm steps in the examples described withreference to the embodiments disclosed in this specification may beimplemented by hardware or a combination of hardware and computersoftware. Whether a function is performed by hardware or hardware drivenby computer software depends on particular applications and designconstraints of the technical solutions. A person skilled in the art mayuse different methods to implement the described functions for eachparticular application, but it should not be considered that theimplementation goes beyond the scope of the present application.

In the embodiments of the present application, the session managementfunction entity may be divided into function modules based on theforegoing method examples. For example, each function module may beobtained through division based on each corresponding function, or twoor more functions may be integrated into one processing module. Theintegrated module may be implemented in a form of hardware, or may beimplemented in a form of a software function module. It should be notedthat the module division in the embodiments of the present applicationis an example, and is merely logical function division. There may beanother division manner in an actual implementation.

For example, when each function module is obtained through divisionbased on each corresponding function, FIG. 4 is a possible schematicstructural diagram of the session management function entity in theforegoing embodiment. The session management function entity 400includes a receiving module 401, a determining module 402, and a sendingmodule 403.

The receiving module 401 is configured to receive location changeinformation of UE in a PRA, an identity of the PRA, and an identity of aPRA set to which the PRA corresponding to the identity of the PRAbelongs that are sent by an MIME, where the location change informationof the UE in the PRA includes information about entering or leaving thePRA by the UE.

The determining module 402 is configured to determine, based on theidentity of the PRA set and stored PRA subscription information, asubscription entity that subscribes to a location change event of the UEin any PRA in the PRA set, where the PRA subscription informationincludes the identity of the PRA set and an identity of the subscriptionentity that subscribes to the location change event of the UE in any PRAin the PRA set.

The sending module 403 is configured to send the identity of the PRA andthe location change information of the UE in the PRA to the subscriptionentity.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the session management function entityfurther includes a storage module 404.

The receiving module 401 is further configured to receive a PRAsubscription request sent by the subscription entity, where the PRAsubscription request carries the identity of the PRA set and is used torequest to subscribe to a location change event of the UE in any PRA inthe PRA set corresponding to the identity of the PRA set.

The determining module is further configured to determine the PRAsubscription information based on the PRA subscription request.

The storage module 404 is configured to store the PRA subscriptioninformation.

The sending module 403 is configured to send a PRA location changenotification request to the MME, where the PRA location changenotification request carries the identity of the PRA set and is used toinstruct the MME to perform PRA location change reporting when the UEenters or leaves any PRA in the PRA set corresponding to the identity ofthe PRA set.

Optionally, the subscription entity may include a PCRF entity or an OCSentity.

Optionally, the MME may include an MME, an SGSN, or an MMF.

Optionally, the session management function entity may include a PGW oran SMF.

All related content of the steps in the foregoing method embodiment maybe cited in function descriptions of corresponding function modules.Details are not described herein again.

When each function module is obtained through integration, FIG. 5 is apossible schematic structural diagram of the session management functionentity in the foregoing embodiment. The session management functionentity 500 includes a processing module 501, a communications module502, and a storage module 503. The processing module 501 may beconfigured to perform an operation that can be performed by thedetermining module 402 in FIG. 4. The communications module 502 may beconfigured to perform operations that can be performed by the receivingmodule 401 and the sending module 403 in FIG. 4. The storage module 503may be configured to perform an operation that can be performed by thestorage module 404 in FIG. 4. For details, refer to the embodiment shownin FIG. 4. Details are not described herein again in this embodiment ofthe present application.

All related content of the steps in the foregoing method embodiment maybe cited in function descriptions of corresponding function modules.Details are not described herein again.

In this embodiment, the session management function entity is presentedby obtaining each function module through division based on eachcorresponding function, or the session management function entity ispresented by obtaining each function module through division in anintegrated manner. The “module” herein may be an ASIC, a circuit, aprocessor and a memory that execute one or more software or firmwareprograms, an integrated logic circuit, and/or another component that canprovide the foregoing functions. In a simple embodiment, a personskilled in the art may figure out that the form shown in FIG. 2 may beused for the session management function entity 400 or the sessionmanagement function entity 500. For example, the receiving module 401,the determining module 402, the sending module 403, and the storagemodule 404 in FIG. 4 may be implemented by the processor 201 and thememory 203 in FIG. 2. Specifically, the receiving module 401, thedetermining module 402, the sending module 403, and the storage module404 may be implemented by invoking, by the processor 201, theapplication program code stored in the memory 203. This is not limitedin this embodiment of the present application. Alternatively, forexample, the processing module 501, the communications module 502, andthe storage module 503 in FIG. 5 may be implemented by the processor 201and the memory 203 in FIG. 2. Specifically, the processing module 501,the communications module 502, and the storage module 503 may beimplemented by invoking, by the processor 201, the application programcode stored in the memory 203. This is not limited in this embodiment ofthe present application.

An embodiment of the present application further provides a computerstorage medium. The computer storage medium is configured to store acomputer software instruction used by the foregoing session managementfunction entity. The computer software instruction includes a programdesigned for executing the method embodiment. Location change reportingcan be implemented by executing the stored program.

Although the present application is described with reference to theembodiments, in a process of implementing the present application thatclaims protection, a person skilled in the art may understand andimplement another variation of the disclosed embodiments by viewing theaccompanying drawings, disclosed content, and the accompanying claims.In the claims, “comprising” does not exclude another component oranother step, and “a” or “one” does not exclude a case of plurality. Asingle processor or another unit may implement several functionsenumerated in the claims. Some measures are described in dependentclaims that are different from each other, but this does not indicatethat these measures cannot be combined to produce a good effect.

A person skilled in the art should understand that the embodiments ofthe present application may be provided as a method, an apparatus(device), or a computer program product. Therefore, the presentapplication may use a form of hardware only embodiments, software onlyembodiments, or embodiments with a combination of software and hardware.Moreover, the present application may use a form of a computer programproduct that is implemented on one or more computer-usable storage media(including but not limited to a magnetic disk memory, a CD-ROM, anoptical memory, and the like) that include computer-usable program code.The computer program is stored/distributed in a proper medium and isprovided as or used as a part of hardware together with other hardware,or may be distributed in another form, such as in the Internet or inanother wired or wireless telecommunications system.

The present application is described with reference to the flowchartsand/or block diagrams of the method, the apparatus (device), and thecomputer program product according to the embodiments of the presentapplication. It should be understood that computer program instructionsmay be used to implement each process and/or each block in theflowcharts and/or the block diagrams and a combination of a processand/or a block in the flowcharts and/or the block diagrams. Thesecomputer program instructions may be provided for a general-purposecomputer, a dedicated computer, an embedded processor, or a processor ofanother programmable data processing device to generate a machine, sothat the instructions executed by the computer or the processor ofanother programmable data processing device generate an apparatus forimplementing a specified function in one or more processes in theflowcharts and/or in one or more blocks in the block diagrams.

These computer program instructions may alternatively be stored in acomputer readable memory that can instruct a computer or anotherprogrammable data processing device to work in a specific manner, sothat the instructions stored in the computer readable memory generate anartifact that includes an instruction apparatus. The instructionapparatus implements a specified function in one or more processes inthe flowcharts and/or in one or more blocks in the block diagrams.

These computer program instructions may alternatively be loaded onto acomputer or another programmable data processing device, so that aseries of operations and steps are performed on the computer or anotherprogrammable device, thereby generating computer-implemented processing.Therefore, the instructions executed on the computer or anotherprogrammable device provide steps for implementing a specified functionin one or more processes in the flowcharts and/or in one or more blocksin the block diagrams.

Although the present application is described with reference to specificfeatures and the embodiments thereof, apparently, various modificationsand combinations may be made to them without departing from the spiritand scope of the present application. Correspondingly, the specificationand accompanying drawings are merely example descriptions of the presentapplication defined by the appended claims, and are considered ascovering any of or all modifications, variations, combinations orequivalents within the scope of the present application. Apparently, aperson skilled in the art can make various modifications and variationsto the present application without departing from the spirit and scopeof the present application. The present application is intended to coverthese modifications and variations of the present application providedthat these modifications and variations fall within the scope ofprotection defined by the claims of the present application andequivalent technologies thereof

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for reporting location changes of userequipment (UE) comprising: receiving, by a first entity from a secondentity, a first request comprising a first identifier of a presencereporting area (PRA) set, wherein the PRA set comprises a plurality ofPRAs, and wherein the first request requests to subscribe to events ofthe UE entering or leaving each PRA in the first PRA set; sending, bythe first entity to a third entity, a second request for reporting PRAlocation change and comprising the first identifier; receiving, by thethird entity, the second request from the first entity; sending, by thethird entity to the first entity, location change information of the UEin a PRA of the PRAs, a second identifier of the PRA, and the firstidentifier, wherein the location change information of the UE in thefirst PRA comprises information regarding the UE entering or leaving thefirst PRA; receiving, by the first entity, the location changeinformation, the second identifier, and the first identifier; andsending, by the first entity, the second identifier and the locationchange information to the second entity.
 2. The method of claim 1,wherein the first request requests to subscribe to events of the UEentering each of the PRAs.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the firstrequest requests to subscribe to events of the UE leaving each of thePRAs.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the location change informationcomprises information regarding the UE entering the PRA.
 5. The methodof claim 1, wherein the location change information comprisesinformation regarding the UE leaving the PRA.
 6. The method of claim 1,further comprising sending, by the first entity, the second identifierand the location change information to the second entity according tosubscription information comprising a correspondence between the firstidentifier and a third identifier of the second entity.
 7. The method ofclaim 6, further comprising storing, by the first entity, thesubscription information in a local storage of the first entity.
 8. Themethod of claim 1, further comprising determining, by the third entityin response to a location of the UE in the PRA changing, the firstidentifier based on a preconfigured correspondence between an identityof the PRA set and a plurality of identities of the PRAs.
 9. A systemfor reporting location changes of user equipment (UE) comprising: afirst entity is configured to: receive, from a second entity, a firstsubscription request comprising a first identifier of a presencereporting area (PRA) set, wherein the PRA set comprises a plurality ofPRAs, and wherein the first request requests to subscribe to events ofthe UE entering or leaving each PRA in the first PRA set; and send, to athird entity, a second request for reporting PRA location changecomprising the first identifier instructing the third entity to performPRA location change reporting when the UE enters or leaves a PRA in thefirst PRA set; and a third entity coupled to the first entity andconfigured to: receive the second request from the first entity; andsend, to the first entity, location change information of the UE in aPRA of the PRAs, a second identifier of the PRA, and the firstidentifier, wherein the location change information comprisesinformation regarding the UE entering or leaving the PRA, wherein thefirst entity is further configured to: receive the location changeinformation, the second identifier, and the first identifier; and sendthe second identifier and the location change information to the secondentity.
 10. The system of claim 9, wherein the first subscriptionrequest requests to subscribe to events of the UE entering each PRA inthe first PRA set.
 11. The system of claim 9, wherein the firstsubscription request requests to subscribe to events of the UE leavingeach PRA in the first PRA set.
 12. The system of claim 9, furthercomprises the second entity coupled to the first entity and configuredto send, to the first entity, the subscription request.
 13. The systemof claim 9, wherein the first entity is further configured to send thesecond identifier and the location change information to the secondentity according to a subscription information comprising acorrespondence between the first identifier and a third identifier ofthe first entity.
 14. The system of claim 13, wherein the first entityis further configured to store the subscription information in a localstorage of the first entity.
 15. The system of claim 9, wherein thesecond entity is further configured to: determine the location of the UEin the PRA changes; and determine, in response to the location of the UEin the first PRA changing, the first identifier based on preconfiguredcorrespondence between an identity of the first PRA set and a pluralityof identities of the PRAs.
 16. A first entity comprising: a processor;and a memory coupled to the processor and configured to storeinstructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the firstentity to be configured to: receive, from a second entity, a firstrequest comprising a first identifier of a presence reporting area (PRA)set, wherein the PRA set comprises a plurality of PRAs, and wherein thefirst request requests to subscribe to events of a user equipment (UE)entering or leaving each of the PRAs; send, to a third entity, a secondrequest for reporting PRA location change comprising the firstidentifier; receive, from the third entity, location change informationof the UE in the PRA, a second identifier of the first PRA, and thefirst identifier, wherein the location change information comprisesinformation regarding the UE entering or leaving the first PRA; and sendthe second identifier and the location change information to the secondentity.
 17. The first entity of claim 16, wherein the instructionsfurther cause the first entity to be configured to send the secondidentifier and the location change information to the second entityaccording to a subscription information comprising a correspondencebetween the first identifier and a third identifier of the secondentity.
 18. The first entity of claim 17, wherein the instructionsfurther cause the first entity to be configured to store thesubscription information in a local storage of the first entity.
 19. Afirst entity comprising: a processor; and a memory coupled to theprocessor and configured to store instructions that, when executed bythe processor, cause the first entity to be configured to: receive, froma second entity, a first request for reporting presence reporting area(PRA) location change comprising a first identifier of a PRA setcomprising a plurality of PRAs; and send, to the second entity inresponse to a location of a user equipment (UE) changing, locationchange information of the UE in a PRA of the PRAs, a second identifierof the PRA, and the first identifier, wherein the location changeinformation comprises information regarding the UE entering or leavingthe first PRA.
 20. The first entity of claim 19, wherein theinstructions further cause the first entity to be configured todetermine, in response to the location changing, the first identifierbased on preconfigured correspondence between an identity of the PRA setand a plurality of identities of the PRAs.